Journal Entries

@toesalad is a guitar player and doesn’t like losing his finger strength or dexterity with long absences in playing, never mind he actually enjoys playing.

Canoeing, more-so than backpacking, allows Damien to pack a mini practice guitar. It even has its own dry bag! Have guitar will travel.

View of our campsite from the top of lock 39 at Jones Falls.

We have the place to ourselves except for 2 other canoeists on the other side of lock 39, going the opposite direction as us.

So impressed with the easy and accessible and cheap camping at the lockstations. Flush toilets and running water make this practically glamping.

Supper time chill

Making camp at Jones Falls. These are fairly significant locks that make a navigable route around/at former waterfalls. Bet it used to be really beautiful. Now it has a different kind of beauty. Tamed, parklike, “engineered”.

We arrived after the lockstation was closed so we portaged to here (no big deal).

In the morning we’ll canoe across the reservoir, portage around the last lock and be on our way before the lockstation opens at 10am.

Just pulling out of our last rest stop of the afternoon before finishing our paddle of Cranberry, Little Cranberry and Whitefish lakes.

Spent about an hour hanging it on the pier at Brass Point Bridge (swings for larger boats) so @toesalad could take an important work phone call.

Loved the maple behind the Parks Canada sign.

Saw a lot of these types of points and islands today.

There isn’t crown land along the Rideau where you can just pitch camp. And there are a significant number of private cottages etc. However there are a lot of places you could “stealth” camp, no doubt on private land, where no one is nearby and you wouldn’t be detected.

I’m not advocating that but I wouldn’t feel bad doing it with leave no trace practices and with no campfire (which we’re not doing this trip anyway staying at lockstations).

We’re in the lock. We tie up to a black “railing” and slowly a sluice gate is opened, and water bubbles up in front of the gate. Eventually the gate is also opened and the water levels in both locks achieve equilibrium and we paddle through.

At this lock we’re moving upstream. We’ll be doing that for a few days till we reach the height of land and start going down towards Ottawa.

Tied up at Upper Brewers Lock. This will be our first lock through, still not sure if that’s how you say it.

Parks Canada charges boats by the foot. At most, maybe all the locks, canoes and kayaks can portage.

We bought a locks seasonal pass which allows us to go through unlimited locks on this canal or any other Parks Canada Canal (like Lachine Canal in Montreal & others) this boating season.

It makes sense for a week long trip and is cheaper than paying per lock.

We plan to lock through and portage depending on circumstance, which includes lock hours which are reduced in fall, weekday hours are 10-4. So if you arrive before or after you wait, or portage.

Starting paddling day 2 at Lower Brewers Lock. So happy for that blue sky. Also I just love this pretty Souris River canoe.